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NBA Picks

Pick Knicks vs. 76ers 'Over'

A couple of weeks ago we would have looked at this game as a joke, but the Knicks are in the midst of a seven game SU winning streak, and the NBA Odds have them as a -12 road favorite with a total of 209 ½.

Philadelphia has been playing a little tougher recently even though they are still in their long losing streak, but will they keep the game close tonight against their divisional rival?

PaceThe
Sixers have no choice but to try and play faster than their opponents, but the Knicks
have been much better recently playing in the half court. However in a game
like this on the road, they could fall into the Sixers’ style of play. In their
games against the Sixers this season, the games have been really high scoring
and up in pace.

In their current winning streak, the Knicks’
offense has been extremely efficient compared to earlier in the season, and
against the Sixers’ defense tonight, the Knicks should have a floor of somewhere
around 110 points. They have scored the ball very easily against Philly so far
this season, and while I don’t trust them enough to cover the spread, I think
the total has great value at 209 ½.

The Sharp PickIn their
recent winning streak, the Knicks have averaged over 111 points per game, and
now they are going up against one of the worst defenses in the NBA, if not the
worst. On the road this season, the Knicks have cashed the over at 18-14, and I
think we see another one eclipse the total.

Four of
New York’s last five games have gone over the total and in the matchups between
these two teams, the total has gone over in their last two meetings, and four
of the last six overall. New York scored 123 points in their last matchup with
the Sixers, and in the one before that, they gave up 110 points to Philly in a
loss. Both of these games were at Madison Square Garden, and the Sixers scored
110 in both games.

Now that
the series has shifted to Philly, it should mean more scoring from the Sixers,
and probably the same for New York. No one will be able to stop Carmelo
Anthony, and on the flip side, Michael Carter-Williams is going to make Raymond
Felton’s life very hard tonight. As long as the Sixers keep the pace up and
shoot enough to give themselves a chance, I love betting the over here with a
total of 209 ½.

The over
has been very profitable for people wagering totals on the Knicks recently, and
I don’t think it stops here. The Knicks have gone 19-8 cashing the over in
their last 27 games, and with a history like that, it seems that the NBA odds have gone to low with the total of
209 ½.

[gameodds]5/259365/?r-1=43-19-349/us[/gameodds]

In a
recent article, Bill Simmons stated that the Sixers might not be able to beat
any of the 1 or 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament right now, and I am inclined to
agree. The Sixers’ will hemorrhage points to the Knicks even in Philadelphia,
and I’m backing the Over wit my NBA picks because of it.